Thursday, April 05, 2007

US secretary of defense says Iranian "detainees" will not be released :

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that the United States was not planning to release the five Iranians arrested in January in a raid on the Iranian consulate's office in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil.

The Iranian diplomat released Tuesday preceding the announcement that Iran would free the 15 British sailors it had taken hostage was being held in a joint Iraqi and American facility, and was released in part because of a decision at the highest levels of the American government.

Sky News went on patrol with Captain Chris Air and his team in Iraqi waters close to the area where they were arrested - just five days before the crisis began. We withheld the interview until now so it would not jeopardise their safety.